Program dodges a bullet

Samuel Chi, OF THE EXAMINER STAFF

Published 4:00 am, Thursday, November 28, 1996

LAHAINA, Hawaii - After a yearlong investigation, the NCAA has sent Cal an official letter of inquiry alleging improprieties in the basketball program under former coach Todd Bozeman. Cal, however, was not cited for lack of institutional control, which means the school might avert major sanctions.

"How can you say that you got the letter and say you're pleased about it?" Cal athletic director John Kasser said Wednesday. "But, at the same time, there's nothing that we didn't know about during our own investigation. The key issue here is we're not cited for lack of institutional control."

Cal will have until mid-February to answer the NCAA's allegations and the association will then determine what penalty, if any, to levy on the program. That process probably won't be completed until at least April - after the completion of the current basketball season.

Bozeman was forced out Aug. 28 after Cal's own investigations. By acting swiftly, the Bears probably will avoid major penalties, such as a postseason or television ban. Louisville received a two-year probation last week, but was spared major sanctions because the NCAA did not find the school guilty of lacking institutional control.

Cal could still be penalized and lose some of its nine scholarships. But coach Ben Braun, hired Sept. 15 to replace Bozeman, said he's been encouraged by the process.

"I'm always looking for positive things," said Braun.

"I thought the university conducted the whole thing the right way. We've been up front and honest. What happened was certainly in the past, and the people in question are no longer involved. Most of the recruits we have been in contact with have been very positive so far, so that's not as much a concern."

The focal point of the alleged rules violation is Bozeman's recruitment of former Cal guard Jelani Gardner. The NCAA said it uncovered payments made to Gardner's family by Butch Carter, a former NBA player and a Bozeman acquaintance.

The letter, which was sent to the university last week, said the Gardner family received $15,000 from Carter during the 1994-95 season, Gardner's freshman year at Cal. Gardner was a heavily recruited prep All-America at Bellflower's St. John Bosco High and came to Cal as the heir apparent at point guard to Jason Kidd.

Gardner's Cal career fizzled out after two years, and he transferred to Pepperdine last April. Gardner's father, Tom, incensed at Bozeman for his treatment and benching of Jelani, reported the violations to the NCAA after Jelani left Cal. Tom Gardner said he had done so, in part, because he "wanted to get Bozeman fired."

Bozeman, who moved to his hometown in the Washington D.C. area after his ouster, was unavailable for comment Wednesday. He had vehemently denied any wrongdoing. Carter, who was an assistant coach with the Milwaukee Bucks when the alleged violation took place, was also unavailable for comment. It's unclear where the $15,000 originated.

Cal was investigated twice by the NCAA during the 1994-95 season, and no major violations were found. Forward Tremaine Fowlkes, who has since transferred to Fresno State, was suspended 14 games for receiving money from a former agent. The recruitment of Shareef Abdur-Rahim was also scrutinized by the NCAA, which found only minor violations and gave Cal a slap on the wrist. Abdur-Rahim left for the NBA after his freshman season.

Kasser said he was satisfied with the findings of the NCAA, which didn't come with any surprises.

"There wasn't a pattern of (violations) of any kind. They looked at everything, things like phone records, receipts - it's like an audit from the IRS," he said.

"But we cooperated with the NCAA in every step and beyond. The most important thing is the person in question (Carter) cannot be identified in any way as a representative of the school." &lt;